NathanaelB wrote:I don't think they can reply to the SMS? They certainly can't reply to emails. I'll have to check that.
I think you can send your text message to any mobile phone and they can click reply on their phone to send a message back. But they can't enter the "number" of your beacon on their phone, only use the reply option.
If you know someone else with a Garmin InReach you can send each other messages and the message location appears on your map. In our family we all have one, since we usually get well-separated. If one of us sends a message the rest of use can see where the sender was, in relation to our own track marked on our map.
The Map is a useful safety feature, even though you don't get any terrain showing on your device. If you lose the track you have been following, you can use the Map to see where you have come from and follow your way back on the same route, or just go back to where you started.
Waypoints lets you enhance this option by entering the coordinates of a waypoint so you can head towards it. Or while walking, you can save a waypoint, such as a track junction, so you can find it again later, or see how far you are from it on your return trip.
Trip Info will tell you how far you have gone on this trip.
Location gives you your coordinates, so if you can contact someone by phone (friends or emergency services) you can read off your precise coordinates.
Settings should be checked to make your information is in the right units. Under Tracking, check Log Interval. On a day trip make the log interval as short as possible, to keep track of your current location accurately. On multi-day trips, make the interval around 10 minutes to conserve battery life.